What striked me with awe the most yesterday was how people are really engaged here. It's only a proposal to refurbish a square in front of their blocks of flats and to upgrade certain common facilities, but hey, if it is to affect their daily lives, they very damn well have a thing or two to say, and sometimes in a not very polite manner too.
Some people got really agitated about the smallest things. Their demands and concerns can be very specific, and as a newcomer to the project it shamed me that I'm not that familiar with the area. That prompted me to go for another round of site visit to have a look at the area of which I'm part of the design team.
As I've said, some people were really agitated. One woman just stormed out of the church because she was upset. At the risk of repeating myself, I was at awe with how engaged and passionate people are with their surroundings. If they can have a say about something, then they very damn well would have a say. Even if they're not consulted but still they have a thing or two to say, then hey, just wait for the petitions to start coming.
I was at awe because this would never happen in Malaysia. Public consultation is an alien concept and besides, the public just do not give a damn about getting involved. We're rather jaded as a society. Maybe because we've never really had a platform to affect change and the politicians have always taken a patronizing approach when dealing with the public majority, over the years we came to believe that there's nothing we can do. As a society we have this 'tidak apa' (it's ok) mentality even though we're getting screwed in broad daylight sometimes by those in power. We are as a people, to put it in a not very mild manner, fucked.
We believe that there's nothing we can do. We believe that as individuals we can't affect change. We forgot that a lot of individuals make up a significant number, and then what we have is a significant majority who are supposedly well informed but are just content to let things go to the dogs.
How do we sleep at night? Oh as long as we have our grilles on our doors and windows and we didn't forget to set the alarm before we go to bed, we'll be fine. Who cares about what's going on out there, it's not our problem.
I told my boss that we don't have this in Malaysia. People just don't care. He proceeded to say but you do so many big tall buildings over there. I answered by saying well that's why we could do that, you just don't ask the people. You just do it. The government is still very much the patron in this matter.
Yesterday, a woman who walked with a cane spoke to my colleague for an hour yesterday just to make sure that we will resolve the connectivity for the disabled. She started by speaking to me, but when she questioned our design decision, I mean proposal as nothing's decided yet and hence the point of the consultation, and said that it's pointless and we (the people) are going to pay for it with our money. As a designer, the reason why we proposed that was clear cut to me. We wanted to raise the level of the car park so that it's at the same level as the street and pedestrianise it so that it's safer and more pleasant to use. We also proposed a ramp besides it so that the disabled can use it. I honestly don't understand why she was opposing it as the existing car park is crap and there is no connection at all for the disabled at the moment.
I passed the buck to my colleague. Didn't know how to handle that. I am always bad at communicating the obvious. And as a true product of the society, I just realized that I myself took a patronizing stand when thinking about the public. I'm the designer, I know what's good for you, was my approach. I didn't realize that but I did yesterday. A real eye opener, that.
I've never met these people before so it was a surprise when some of them said that I've spoken to them before. People were generally friendly, and even when they get upset, you understand that it's nothing personal.
I think that one resident, a certain Tommy C, an old gentleman with real charm and a tad cross-eyed, was probably there just to kiss the girls. After greeting me with 'Hello sweetheart,' I don't think he listened to what was explained to him anymore. When I met him outside the church on my way back from my site visit, I stopped and we talked. After quizzing me about whether I remember his name, he proceeded to tell me his flat number (which for some reason I still can remember but won't share with my gentle readers just yet) just in case I need anything. After saying 'you're beautiful sweeheart,' Tommy just leaned over and smack, planted a wet one on my cheek. Tommy is probably as old as my grandpa and even if he was probably a leery old man, I didn't feel that way.
Father D, who unlocked the church door for us yesterday, looked more like a redneck with his rough looks and buffed body and crew cut hair. When he came to see us in late afternoon in a pair of very short shorts and a sweater and told us he was on his way to the gym, we told him that we probably could figure that out. He then said that he would look totally different tomorrow morning (Sunday service).
There's a lot to be done still. Yes it's only a refurbishment proposal for a public square but this will take time.
It was a fine day. I learned a lot.
